Reconfigurable garment

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure is directed to a reconfigurable garment with detachable accessories, which allow quick and easy changes from one costume or clothing design to another. The disclosed garment allows for combination and exchange of a substantial number of accessories, requires less storage space, facilitates transport, and provides a new alternative for the creation of countless designs.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

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RELATED APPLICATIONS

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FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention lies in the field of costume and dance garments that are useful in the business of costume design and dance performances. In one aspect, the invention relates to the design of reconfigurable clothing with detachable accessories, which allow quick and easy changes from one clothing design to another.

BACKGROUND

At present, there are numerous designs, models and means of implementation of undergarments for the female and male gender. These undergarments are usually manufactured to fit below, or above, the waist and cover up to the beginning of the leg made with a variety of textiles for intimate, as well as public use. Some models offer total or partial coverage in the front and back of the body. Other models are designed to provide support for the upper body and torso.

Functionally, current designs are limited to providing protection and support for the wearer. Some have quick release functionality, while others provide hidden pockets. However, none of these allow quick and easy changes from one clothing design to another while still providing support:

U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,795, with priority date of Apr. 4, 1988 and titled “Body suit and underpants with self-gripping fasteners,” discloses a body suit and underpants in which a seat flap at the crotch is readily opened or closed by means of a self-gripping fastener. A particular feature is that the seat flap may be fastened to the rear panel when open. One embodiment, which includes self-gripping fasteners on the side, as well as on the seat flap, enables the garment to be opened out flat for laundry and storage convenience.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,712, with priority date of Jun. 10, 1992 and titled “Adjustable neckline blouse,” discloses an adjustable neckline garment has a stretchable neckline and a plurality of adjustment devices spaced along the neckline to permit configuring the neckline to a plurality of different shapes.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,560,786, with priority date of Dec. 26, 2000 and titled “Quick release and refastenable undergarment,” discloses an undergarment with a front and rear panel and a crotch panel joining them, wherein the panels are so shaped that at the waistband, at the side of the wearer's body, the front and rear panels are spaced apart. A flexible strap attached to the top edge of each side of the rear panel extends to the front panel. Respective fastening devices on the end of the strap and on the front panel at the waistband enable separable attachment to complete the undergarment. The fastening devices are selected from a group consisting of hook and loop fasteners, snap fasteners, belt and buckle fasteners, hook and eye fasteners, clasp fasteners, bow and tie fasteners and slide fasteners.

U.S. Pat. App. No. 2009/0126072, with priority date of Nov. 16, 2007 and titled “Attachable/detachable swimwear garment,” discloses an attachable/detachable swimwear garment having a garment piece that is both attachable and detachable to at least one other garment piece. The attachable/detachable swimwear garment includes a top garment piece and a bottom garment piece, both of which have garment attachment means. It is contemplated that the top attachment means of the top garment piece is attachably engageable to the bottom garment attachment means of the bottom garment piece to provide an attached garment having a desired style and function. It is further contemplated that the top attachment means is detachable from the bottom garment attachment means, to allow the top garment piece to be worn separately from the bottom garment piece. The invention allows the wearer of the garment to readily convert between garment configurations appropriate for swimming/bathing versus other activities, as well as easily transform the garment for modesty reasons.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,051,496, with priority date of Sep. 9, 2008 and titled “Convertible swimwear,” discloses a Convertible swimwear comprising a top piece and extendable bottom piece; the top piece having a plurality of fasteners along the lower portion thereof and the extendable bottom piece having a plurality of corresponding fasteners along the upper edge thereof to be releasably secured to the fasteners on the lower portion of the top piece. The position of the fasteners may be reversed. The bottom piece further includes a string component secured on the upper edge of the bottom piece, where upon releasing of the respective fasteners the string component is pulled away from the lower edge of the bottom piece bringing the upper edge of the bottom piece substantially close to said lower edge of the bottom piece and thereby rolling, folding or scrunching the upper edge of the bottom piece to effectively convert a one piece to two piece style bathing suit. The top piece further includes a cover flap to conceal the fasteners on each respective piece.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,087,098, with priority date of Sep. 30, 2008 and titled “Multi-sectional waistband quick release undergarment,” discloses a multi-sectional waistband quick release undergarment is provided. The multi-sectional waistband quick release undergarment includes a multi-sectional waistband having a first waistband section and a second waistband section for securing the undergarment to a wearer's body. An undergarment body includes a front panel and a rear panel, which are joined to the first waistband section and the second waistband section, respectively. At least a portion of the first waistband section is releasably secured to at least a portion of the second waistband section, and at least a portion of the front panel is releasably secured to at least a portion of the rear panel. When a predetermined breakaway force is exerted on the second waistband section, the second waistband section releases from the first waistband section and the rear panel releases from the front panel; and thereby provides effective protection against wedgies.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,522,362, with priority date of Feb. 18, 2010 and titled “Clothing systems,” discloses a clothing system may include a first two-piece swimsuit. The first two-piece swimsuit may include a swimsuit top and a swimsuit bottom. The clothing system may include further include a midsection cover sized and configured to be selectively connected to the swimsuit top to form a second two-piece swimsuit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, constitute part of the specifications and illustrate the preferred embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 shows a frontal view of an exemplary embodiment of the reconfigurable garment.

FIG. 2 shows a rear view of an exemplary embodiment of the reconfigurable garment.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of two exemplary embodiments of the accessories.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the reconfigurable garment with accessories attached to form a flat, platter-like disc.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the reconfigurable garment with accessories attached to form a flat, pancake-like disc.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the reconfigurable garment with accessories attached to form a bell shaped disc.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the reconfigurable garment with accessories attached to form an elongated bell shaped disc.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the reconfigurable garment with accessories attached to form a disc with a fluffier, looser appearance.

FIG. 9 shows a top view of an exemplary embodiment of the reconfigurable garment and accessories positioned to form a disc.

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the reconfigurable garment and accessories attached as an alternative design.

FIG. 11 shows a frontal view of a second exemplary embodiment of the reconfigurable garment.

FIG. 12 shows a rear view of a second exemplary embodiment of the reconfigurable garment.

FIG. 13 shows a frontal view of a third exemplary embodiment of the reconfigurable garment.

FIG. 14 shows a frontal view of a third exemplary embodiment of the reconfigurable garment with a top accessory attached.

FIG. 15 shows a frontal view of a fifth exemplary embodiment of the reconfigurable garment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosure is capable of being arranged in other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.

Aspects of the disclosure are described below with reference to illustrative embodiments. It should be understood that reference to these illustrative embodiments is not made to limit aspects of the disclosure in any way. Instead, illustrative embodiments are used to aid in the description and understanding of various aspects of the disclosure. Therefore, the following description is intended to be illustrative, not limiting.

The present disclosure is directed to a reconfigurable garment that is useful in the business of costume design and dance performances. The disclosure is also directed to the design of reconfigurable clothing with detachable accessories that allow quick and easy changes from one clothing design to another. The disclosed garment allows for combination and exchange of a substantial number of accessories, requires less storage space, facilitates transport, and is a new alternative for the creation of countless designs.

The disclosed a first exemplary embodiment for the reconfigurable garment 1 is comprised of at least a band 110 with a plurality of attachment points 120 arrange along the band. In some embodiments, the rear part of the reconfigurable garment comprises a closure 210 for easy opening and closing of the garment. The closure may be configured with a plurality of fasteners 220 including, but not limited to, rivets, velcro, zipper, magnets, snaps, tacks, and hook-and-eye fasteners.

The attachment points 120 allow attachment/detachment of a plurality of accessories 300, which have corresponding attachment points 320, 330. The accessories can be attached and detached in multiple configurations in order to create a variety of designs. In some embodiments, the attachment points 120, 320, 330 may be comprised of a variety of fasteners including, but not limited to, rivets, velcro, zipper, magnets, snaps, and tacks.

In some embodiments, the accessories 300 are manufactured with textiles 340 appropriate for the proposed use. For example, a lightweight textile may be used for applications that require athletic movements such as leaps, lifts, turns, and pirouettes, among others. In other embodiments heavier textiles may be used for costume applications that require an authentic look and feel. Some examples of textiles that may be used are tulle, muslin, or silk, among others. In some embodiments, the accessories 300 may be configured to accept a number of adornments like beads, sequins, fringe trim, pearls, feathers, and chains, among others.

In some embodiments, the accessories 300 may comprise only one layer of textile 340. In other embodiments the accessories 300 may comprise a plurality of textile layers mechanically attached to the band supporting the connectors 320. A multiplicity of accessories 300 are intended to be connected around the reconfigurable garment 1, more particularly to the band supporting the attachment points 120, in order to form a single embodiment. The number of accessories may depend on the supporting band 110 length. Also the number of parts forming an accessory is preferred to be divided in several pieces, as shown in FIG. 3, in such way that make easier to carry it. For example, an accessory, such as a tutu, is divided into several pieces making easier to carry when it is compared to a single tutu structure. Further the tutu's divisions or pieces are made of several textile layers but said textile layer are connected to a single band support. This configuration simplifies the manufacturing of the tutu, more particularly the tutu's pieces while provides a structure easier to vary or to wear without the need of buying different complete structures.

According to the desired design, textile layers may be of different length and stiffness. For instance, one embodiment may comprise accessories 400 with a plurality of short and stiff textile layers 410 that, when attached to an embodiment of the garment, extend straight outwards from the hips in a flat platter shape also known as platter tutu, as shown in FIG. 4. Another embodiment may comprise accessories 500 with a plurality of short and stiff textile layers 510 that, when attached to an embodiment of the garment, extend slightly downwards from the hips in a flat, pancake shape also known as pancake tutu, as shown in FIG. 5. Another embodiment may comprise accessories 600 with one or more medium sized, flexible textile layers 610 that, when attached to an embodiment of the garment, extend downward from the hips in a bell shape also known as a bell tutu, as shown in FIG. 6. Another embodiment may comprise accessories 700 with a plurality of long textile layers 710 that, when attached to an embodiment of the garment, extend downward from the hips in an elongated bell shape also known as romantic tutu, as shown in FIG. 7. Another embodiment may comprise accessories 800 with a plurality of short, loosely arranged, textile layers 810 that, when attached to an embodiment of the garment, extend downward from the hips for a fluffier and looser appearance also known as Balanchine tutu, as shown in FIG. 8.

In some embodiments, the accessories may be combined to form a disc around the reconfigurable garment, as shown in FIG. 9. However, the reconfigurable garment 1 may be used without attaching enough accessories to form a disc or circle as shown in FIG. 10. In some embodiments, the accessories may be reversible. In some embodiments, the accessories may be used interchangeably to create a plurality of designs.

FIG. 11 thru FIG. 15 discloses several exemplary reconfigurable garment embodiments. FIGS. 11 and 12 discloses a second exemplary reconfigurable garment 2 embodiment comprising of at least a band 1420 with a plurality of attachment points 1410 arrange along the band 1420. The rear part of the reconfigurable garment comprises a closure 210 for easy opening and closing of the garment. The closure may be configured with a plurality of fasteners 220 including, but not limited to, rivets, velcro, zipper, magnets, snaps, tacks, and hook-and-eye fasteners.

Yet, another configuration is disclosed in FIG. 13. A third exemplary reconfigurable garment 3 embodiment comprises at least a first band 1610 with a plurality of attachment points 1630 arrange along the band 1610. The front part of the reconfigurable garment comprises a second 1600 band arrange in a different configuration from the first band 1610. The second band 1600 comprises a plurality of fasteners 1630 including, but not limited to, rivets, velcro, zipper, magnets, snaps, tacks, and hook-and-eye fasteners. The second band is intended to provide flexibility between the reconfigurable garment 3 and a corset or top accessory, see FIG. 14, while maintaining the connection with the reconfigurable garment 3. The first band 1610 and second band 1600 may vary on the textile properties, such as elasticity.

Another configuration, such as a fourth exemplary reconfigurable garment 3 embodiment comprising of at least a first body 1720 with a plurality of attachment points 1630 arrange along the first body.

The disclosure is not limited to the precise configuration described above. While the disclosure has been described as having a preferred design, it is understood that many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the subject invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this disclosure after considering this specification together with the accompanying drawings. Accordingly, all such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by this invention as defined in the following claims and their legal equivalents. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses, if any, are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. 

1. A reconfigurable garment comprising: a front part and a rear part; a first textile band comprising a plurality of attachment points; said textile band surrounding said front part and rear part; a plurality of accessories; and wherein said plurality of accessories are configure to attach to said attachment points.
 2. A reconfigurable garment of claim 1 comprising a second textile band.
 3. The reconfigurable garment of claim 2, wherein the first textile band comprises a different textile material from said a second textile band
 4. A reconfigurable garment of claim 1 wherein the rear part of the reconfigurable garment comprises a closure.
 5. A reconfigurable garment of claim 1, wherein said plurality of accessories may have one textile layer to a plurality of textile layers.
 6. A reconfigurable garment of claim 1, wherein said textile band is configured to receive a plurality of accessories in a continuous surrounding arrangement to define a single structure. 